Let me tell you something strange… all Udupi-Mangalorean folks are true Brinjal lovers. I haven’t had a single feast here without any side dish made with these cute white and green shaded brinjals. Be it a marriage, thread ceremony or any auspicious pooja for that matter, this eggplant makes it’s presence as a side dish. A big scoop of brinjal gravy blended with hot steamed rice is lip smacking all in all, biting papads and fryums in between takes it to next level. LOVE THIS combo…
Did you see I mentioned coconut oil in seasoning ingredients list?? No?…Ok.. ok.. You have to scroll down for the recipe. It is this coconut oil seasoning that is most prominent in the brinjal dal and one can experience the lingering taste only after the meal.
These eggplants are very very easy to chop, need a bit of your time. But after chopping, remember you need to keep them immersed in water for around 15 minutes, this is to avoid discoloration and brinjal specific astringent tang. The rest of the story is just a breeze. I mean cooking the brinjal chunks in spice mixed water and cooked lentil completes the mild brinjal dal. Wisely use green chillies to boost spice level of eggplant dal and relish the simple meal of the day.
Brinjal Dal | Eggplant Dal Recipe
Ingredients
- White brinjal big - 2 no.
- Pigeon pea lentil- 1/2 cup
- Green chillies- 4 no.
- Tamarind- Lemon sized
- Jaggery powder- 2 tsp
- Salt- 1 tsp
- Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
- Asafoetida- Chickpea sized
- Coriander leaves- Handful
Seasoning Ingredients
- Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
- Black gram lentil- 1/2 tsp
- Curry leaves- few
- Coconut oil- 2 tsp
Instructions
Preparation
- Wash brinjal under running water, chop vertically in to half and then in to quarter. Chop each quarter in to cubes and immerse them in to enough water to avoid discoloration.
- Soak tamarind in some water for about 10 minutes and extract it's thick juice discarding residue.
- Heat a vessel adding tamarind juice and slit green chillies. Drain immersed brinjal chunks and add them in to boiling tamarind juice. Include turmeric powder,jaggery and some water too. Let it cook in simmer till the pieces are soft.
- Pressure cook pigeon pea lentils in enough water for three whistles. When the pressure subsides completely, mash the cooked lentils and transfer it to cooked brinjal pieces. Add salt and bring eggplant dal to boil.
- Heat a seasoning pan adding all the seasoning ingredients in the order mentioned, when the mustard seeds splutter transfer the seasoning to eggplant dal. Add asafoetida and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Brinjal dal is ready. Serve it as side dish with steamed rice.
Notes
- Green chilly is the only ingredient to spice up the dal, so add accordingly.
- Do not add too much water, brinjal dal must be thicker than other curries.
- Brinjal gets cooked too early, make sure you do not overcook them.
hi,
Awesome to see these Udupi recipies.It is really helpful ..Thank you 🙂
Can this dish be prepared even without adding daal too ? I remember tasting something like this at my grandma place , i cant recollect completely 🙁 but remember it to be too watery and tangy and very tasty
No idea, if it could be prepared without daal. But I guess daal must be added at least less in quantity.
Hi…does it make a difference in taste if it’s purple eggplant/brinjal instead of green..?
Apeksha, Green eggplant tastes better.
ok… I shall try with the green one then..Would you please post a brinjal fry recipe too…The one which is soaked and then fried flat… Thank you again☺